Vintage History: Grape Scissors
Thanks to The Woodland Witch, who purchased our original Hearth Witch Altar Set, we’ve seen a lot of interest the intricately decorated scissors that were part of her set. Their silverplate handles—designed to look like fruiting grape vines—are real eye catchers, and the blade closure is unusual—one flat blade that closes into a notch of the other. Not your usual pair of scissors or shears.
They’re grape scissors, yet another flatware invention of the Victorian Era.
To prevent gauche use of the hands on unseparated bunches of grapes during dinner, the Victorians naturally invented special scissors. The handles are longer than their blades, allowing users to really poke into a bunch of grapes to snip away the perfect cluster. And almost universally, they’re highly decorated—they are Victorian, after all.
First manufactured in the mid-19th Century, they remained popular until the First World War. The variety of designs is amazing, many containing not just grapes, but also scenes of foxes, farmers, and winemaking. Not all have the same blade closure, but they all feature the long handle/short blade configuration.
We have several pairs of grape scissors available among our Vintage Items—as well as floral scissors, sewing scissors, embroidery scissors, nail scissors, and many more decorated styles. All have been cleaned, polished, and sharpened in our shop for you to use on your altar.
If there’s anything you’re looking for, contact us. Not all of our vintage items are listed and we’re handmaking new items in our shop regularly. We’d be happy to help you locate and refurbish tools for your altar!
Thanks to The Woodland Witch for sharing these Victorian curiosities with the world in your Hearth Witch Altar Set! (Be sure to check out her Folkcraft & Flora Apothecary.)
